Cru1s1ng2009

one more question. I keep seeing something on the app saying aromatherapy steam and sauna room with heated loungers. could this be true? 

Wheel 

of

Fortune!!!!!

I won $120 on it last cruise with my $6 or 8 diamond bucks. Not being slots people, my daughter said it was probably $3 so i kept playing it until i figured something was up and cashed out at $80. 

4 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

Could it have been a crew drill?  We witnessed one like that, while in a port, with a dummy thrown overboard, and all departments responding, with lifeboats, medical staff on standby, etc.

No evidence of anything happening on Nassau webcam.

that would be a best case scenario. 

when you were up at the kids club, did you happen to go to the arcade and if so, do you remember if there was an air hockey table? If you didnt, dont make an extra trip. 

16 hours ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

Someone that was sitting next to me in the Viking crown lounge asked where the Royal Promenade was. I told her there wasn’t one. But the centrum was where many things happened on this ship. She did not seem happy.

 

It’s so much smaller than the allure. The other ships always make up for it. I have an a great crew really push their passengers first and of course it’s still a beautiful ship. It just doesn’t have all the bows and whistles. 
 

There are more activities and events and less emphasis on venues. 

I love the smaller ships and will be devastated when there are no more that will fit in Baltimore. My daughter grew up on small ships and both didnt enjoy our biggest ship, indy. there are so many more people that you meet on the smaller ships and i swear you get treated like family on them. 

Enjoy your trip. we are hopping on next Thursday. 

i always get one. 

is that the cost for gel? If so, it is expensive but not crazy. Gel will last but old school nail color likely wont. 

23

35 days

then 156

then 268

just bragging cuz i have never had more than 1 scheduled at a time😃

15 minutes ago, Lois R said:

OMG have a blast!

I sail in the closet. Occasionally we will do OV. I would rather sail 2-3 times a year than have a balcony + and sail once. I do miss sailing in the handicapped rooms with my mom. I got spoiled. 

But i am also one of those who is out all day and only in the room for naps and sleep. 

On 12/11/2022 at 12:41 PM, jstew1 said:

Loved the Fish & Chips on Independence of the Seas.  Is this the only ship that has it, or is there any other in the fleet with it?

i LOVED their fries. 

On 2/22/2023 at 7:36 PM, teddie said:

I've mustered up some bravery to ask my tipping questions after seeing the most recent tipping post.  We live in the NY metro area (NJ) and I was raised in NYC by a service-oriented family (hospitality business), so I consider myself a decent tipper.  On our last cruise on the 2/4 Anthem sailing, a group on another platform (which shall remain unnamed) discussed tippping.  A number of posters noted that they gave their wait staff $20 dollars extra every night in the MDR. Also to their room steward.  I felt kinda like I was under some rock, as after 10 cruises, we have never tipped that much!

 

We sailed in a non-suite balcony cabin, paid the automatic gratuities, and at the end of the cruise, we gave the waiter, assistant waiter and room steward $60 more each.  We tipped the hostess at the MTD podium and the Maitre 'd $20 each. 

 

I'm not looking for a debate, but would love to hear what others are doing.  Hence, I ask the following:

 

1.  Do you feel that $20 extra each per night was appropriate for the wait staff and room steward? 

2.  Were my tips over the top?

3.  Have I turned into an outdated stiff?? 

 

Lay it on me, people.

 

Thanks (I think!)

Teddie

 

 

 

I am a very good tipper. So is my DD. We have both worked in the service industry so we get it. 

I do not and could not tip $20 a night extra to each of the main hitters. i tip like you do. about $60-80 pp over the autos. 

oh and bacon is LIFE. 

i get this issue often but i refuse to limit myself on a cruise. i already do it every day, i am not doing it on vacation. Aside from elevating, i bring those ugly white compression socks they put you in for surgery and wear them about every other night. it helps so much! 

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4 minutes ago, sjinnj said:

Last year my family and I cruised on the Enchantment and had a great time. This year we are booked on Liberty for this summer.  In looking over reviews, I am surprised at some of the reviews of Liberty.  It almost seems like people like Enchantment better.  I would have thought since there was a lot more stuff to do on Liberty it would have better reviews.  Can anyone who may have had experience with both ships or any insight into why this may be please let me know?  Thanks.

there is a lot more to do on the liberty. People who like the smaller ships REALLY like the smaller ships, me included. Enchantment always has great reviews i think because there are much less passengers and staff so they get used to the same people helping them which creates a rapport. I havent sailed liberty but did sail indy. it was nice to have a waterslide and flo-rider the one time we did it but like to stick to the smaller ships. Enchantment is leaving baltimore and i am so sad about that but looking forward to vision. 

On 12/29/2022 at 2:16 PM, DirtyDawg said:

I hate all types or porn, they are all so objectifying. I mean that chicken had a family who loved it. On weekends it might have like to socialize with her friends and watch Chick flicks! It might have had dreams of perhaps one day going to Chicken University, likely on a crossing the road scholarship, in order to improve itself. Maybe one day it would have developed into a great comedi-hen!  

 

You food porn-ers don't care about any of that. 😥 You just drool over disgusting photos of it's panko bread crumb-crusted carcass, cut open for all to gawk at, while it releases its delicious parsley and garlic butter sauce hidden inside. SHAME, SHAME on you all!

 

Man, I'm getting hungry. 😋

hahahahahahaha!!!! OMG

On 12/29/2022 at 9:10 PM, John&LaLa said:

 

Need more details. She will keep whatever status you had on her 18th birthday. Now if she sailed every cruise you did, she will have same pounts as you and be close to D+ as are you.

 

But if she had less actual points than you, she still had a way to go to move up to next level.

 

Not uncommon for 18 year olds to be D or D+, but only have 30 or 40 true points. Just takes them longer to hit next level.

 

Now in the case of spouses, we have 'relationship' points. That's how I became Pinnacle with only 400 actual points. Doesn't work that way with kids. I currently have 800+ actual points, but the wife has around 1500. 

 

But my C&A status shows I have those same 1500 points

thanks John. she has sailed on every cruise i have with the exception of my honeymoon so it sounds like we are good to go. 

30 minutes ago, Rubyfisch said:

The hotel director said she has been at sea for 18 years, and this numbered in the top five hardest cruises of her career. Given all the issues of the first few days, I bet she's gotten very little sleep this cruise ...

i can imagine!

Safe travels for you tomorrow. I know it is sad to leave but going home is a great feeling. 

5 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

In March, we visited the Loyalty Ambassador to pick our C&A D+ amenity  and also inquired about our missing Crystal Blocks (still owed one from 12/5/21 Anthem cruise).

ok that is a great idea! I still dont have the crystal blocks. in fact, i dont even know what they are, i have only seen the item listed on the C&A graph. 

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Earned🤔

Mommy and Daddy took him on a cruise 🤣

 

I earned mine by paying for them, as well ad my lovely wife's to an extent😉

Qualified/became. agreed on that maybe being a better word.  

Wait. you mean that my DD who is 21 who has cruised since she was 5 and is now close to D+ will not be D+ when she sails without me because she was a kid and didnt pay for it? Sorry, i am 2 glasses of wine into pre-cruise excitement and packing and cant seem to wrap my mind around this. 

2 hours ago, Rubyfisch said:

Just out of curiosity for anyone reading this - what exactly does the person at the Crown & Anchor desk do? Like what question would they be the right person to ask? There never seems to be anyone asking anything, so I can't be the only one that doesn't know ....

not a clue! They could use that space for at least one more painting from the art gallery😂

2

6 hours ago, #1packerfan said:

I wanted to give our experience with a Burial at Sea on Mariner Dec 19-24.  It was for our son in law who passed away unexpectedly in June.  It was my husband and I, our daughter and granddaughter and my sister and brother in law.

 

We started back in July with correspondence and to get the approval to proceed.  It was an easy process. We had to have death certificate, cremation certificate and proof the urn was biodegradable.  We did not  have a certificate for the urn but it was stamped on the bottom that it was biodegradable so that was fine.

 

My daughter and I went to Guest Services as soon as we boarded to get it set up.  We wanted it on our first sea day in the morning.  The gal at GS took our information and asked us to come back at 6:30 to talk to the Hotel Manager, so we did that.  We got it all set up, but because we did not have an actual cert saying the urn was biodegradable, the environmental officer needed to go to my daughter's stateroom to look at the urn.  It was not an issue, just one more step.  She received a call the night we got back on the ship from Coco Cay that it was all set up for 10:30 the next morning, while at sea.

 

We went to GS at 10:15 and 2 security officers, the environmental officer, the hotel manager and 2 GS staff walked us down to Deck 4 promenade to the back of the ship.  The Security officers stopped passengers from coming through that way while we were there.  They told my daughter what to do, and one of the GS staff videoed it for my daughter at her request.  They also brought along a box of tissues for us, we never gave that a thought. 

 

It was all done so respectfully and we cannot say enough good things about all staff that helped us.  I made sure to mention them in my survey at the end.

 

Each cabin then received the certificate signed by the captain and hotel manager with our son in law's name, DOB, Date of death, and who attended along with the coordinates.  We were asked if we wanted it laminated and we said yes, that way it will never tear, etc.  It was something we will always remember and hopefully our daughter and granddaughter can start to move forward now.

 

All in all the cruise was great as always even with the emotional aspect of saying goodbye to a loved one.  We all love to cruise and our daughter knew this would make him happy to be forever at sea.  

thank you so much for sharing this. 

My daughter (30) passed away in 2019 and my mom just passed away 2 weeks ago. I have been thinking about this for my DD for a couple years and now with my mom it is doubly so. Both loved cruising. 

I hope to one day be able to do a 'two'fer' and do this for both of them. having a certificate with matching coordinates will be wonderful. 

i am so sorry for your loss.